Christmas at the Cabin
by NickelzCrusta14
Summary: Holidays are meant to be spent with friends and family. Memories are made, ideas are shared, and new friends can even be made from it. Tris, Tobias, and all their friends come together come together after a death of a dear friend and go over all the memories shared, and realize just how short life is.


**It's that time of year, and I just wanted to do a cute one-shot. I hope you all like it and tell me what you think! Thanks and I hope you all had a Merry Christmas!**

 **Christmas at the Cabin**

People gather around the in the church for the funeral of the death of their beloved friend Amar. Tobias walks in letting his wife lead the way to find a place to sit. She finds a place behind his great friend, Zeke. People start filling in after them. He was worried that they would be late, traffic was awful, but they weren't the only ones that found that issue. Uriah, Zeke's younger brother, comes in and sits behind him. Soon the whole gang will be here.

It's sad how a death of a good friend brings people together. None of these people have been together since Zeke's wedding 10 years ago. They all agreed that it was too long and they should get together again. So they decided to head over to a cabin along the lake.

Amar's sister gives the eulogy, giving a sappy story from their childhood. No tears are shed, Amar isn't the type of person that you cry for, and he wouldn't cry for you either. The whole thing is a long process, longer than what Amar would've wanted. It's obvious that Tobias and Zeke would just like to see their friend laid down to rest, and in peace, than up here listening to everyone cry about him.

After the whole two hour long process everyone meets up at the cabin. All the guys would come to the lake after they won a state tournament. It feels like home to them, even if it is now more developed and there isn't as much room to run around. The air still smells like fresh fish pee, beer, and campfire smoke. Even with the fresh foot of snow on the ground you can see all the memories that were made here.

"Wow, some things just don't change." Zeke's voice rings through the quietness of the lake and the trees, making everyone cringe.

"No kidding." Tobias answers, shutting the car door. "So you have keys to the house?"

"No, uh, Will does. His flight from New York was held back, and they weren't going to make it to the funeral. So he got the keys from the landlord."

"Now I'm scared." The last time Will was left alone with the a house, it started on fire.

Tobias scoops up the youngest in his family and they all head into the cabin. The first thing you see is the giant Christmas tree in the middle of the room. It's half decorated with a few giant tubs full of ornaments. A tall dark woman stands by the tree and Tris flips out. "Christina!"

"Beatrice!"

The two hug each other and starts the beginning of a giant family reunion. Shauna soon joins the giant hug circle, leaving a circle of confused men.

"Are we going to start our hugging and crying circle too?" Zeke says tossing one of their suitcases down in the corner.

"I hope not."

"Some things never change." Zeke mumbles.

"Yeah. I see that. You still missed your growth spurt." Will says coming into the room, smiling ready to see his friends again.

"Ha, short jokes. You know that's what I missed. Ha. No."

"Zekey!" A shrill voice rings behind the three men.

Zeke is attacked from behind by his younger brother. "Man I missed you. Mom says you don't come around much anymore."

Zeke shoves his brother off and ignores what he just said about their mother. "You know I thought this would be more a somber occasion after the funeral, but obviously I'm wrong." Zeke comments leading all the guys into the kitchen.

"That whole funeral was total bullshit. I could practically hear Amar laughing his ass off in the back and cracking open a beer just to get through the whole thing." Uriah hops onto the counter cracking open a few beers for his own friends.

"Okay Uriah calm down. We all have kids now. So shut up if you know it's good for you." Tobias sets down his daughter and motions for her to go run off.

"Since when did you become Mr. Dad? What happened to the young, wild, insane, guy who did the most insane stuff just to get through the week?"

Zeke laughs leaning heavily on the counter. His head dips down and he snaps it up. "I can tell you. He left as soon as he knocked up his college girlfriend."

Tobias rolls his eyes and takes a sip of his beer. "And we still live happily ever after, and my family is the best thing that ever happened to me. Second best thing was when I became an FBI agent. So don't think I can't kick your ass anymore."

"Dude, you became an FBI agent? You've been like dreaming of that since you first pushed Uriah down the slide when we were five, then attacked him because we were playing cops and robbers. When did this happen?"

"Five years ago? When you were calling me up about- I don't remember anymore."

"Hey remember that time when we were seniors and we came out here for the big after party and good old Four got totally shit faced that we pushed him down the hill into the lake naked?" Will says coming into the room. No one noticed that he left, like usual.

"Are we just going to pick on me the whole time?"

"Yeah cause you did the stupidest things, and now you are like the most responsible out of all of us. I mean now you actually have to maintain the law. I remember when all you wanted to do is see how many you can break." Zeke says like it's obvious. Tobias is going to respond, but he's interrupted.

"You know what we should do?" All the guys look at Uriah expectantly waiting. None of them just like sitting around the place bored. "We should go sledding. I saw some sleds when I snooping around the place earlier and I'm sure that your kids will get entertained by it. And how dangerous can it be I mean seriously? What is going to happen?"

Will looks at Tobias and Zeke, who are looking at each other. "Why not?"

* * *

"Let's do this." Uriah says grabbing the metal saucer sled. He runs and hops on it sliding down the hill. He wanted to demonstrate to the kids how experts slide down the hill. They all wait expectantly. Uriah only slides 6 feet before he's stopped by the amount of snow that is built up in front of him.

"That was lame." Uriah turns around and looks at the 14 year-old that uttered the very words.

"Your lame."

"Don't you know that you need to start a path first? The sled isn't going to go anywhere unless you make a path first." She crosses her arms and gives him that blocked off angry teenage girl glare that no one can get through no matter how much they try. Tris tells her husband that it only last for a little while, then soon she'll be an adult begging for money while she's off at college. Tobias refuses to think about that. He would much rather have his rowdy little baby girl back.

"Who called and made you queen of the hill?" Uriah says giving her that same glare. He's gotten good at imitating people.

"Who called-"

"Okay thanks Adrienne. Thank you for your input." Tobias puts his hands on her shoulders, and steers her away from Uriah. He and Zeke exchange looks, they both know that they need to keep the kids interested for a few hours while all the women wrap presents for the kids to open tomorrow morning. "Look, Zeke will make a path, by rolling down the hill. That's what we did when we were younger.

"Why not you?"

"Because I don't want to get too full of snow."

"Baby." He sits down and Uriah gets out of his way. "Children, this is how you make a proper path. Don't try with without parental supervision." He lays down on the snow and begins his trek down the hill.

He begins rolling, it's slow at first but then he really picks up speed. He's flying down the huge hill, obviously getting dizzy. He stops as soon as he gets to the flat part that ends right before the lake. Zeke gets up and looks at the huge hill, honestly not knowing which way to walk. There is about four of them. As soon as he has some sort of bearing to grasp, he begins the long journey back to the top, feeling like a drunk kindergartener on ice that lost it's grasp on the safety rope.

"Okay Adrienne, you get to go first now since you are the sledding expert." Uriah says handing her the little saucer sled. Zeke comes up and grabs onto Uriah looking down the hill, feeling sick.

"Dad are you sure that I won't go into the lake?"

"Oh yeah, I'm sure. We did this all the time when we were your age and never got close to that lake. Besides if you feel like your getting close, just roll off the sled."

She gives him that same look that Tris gives his when she's not so sure of something. Though Adrienne gets on the sled like she's told and starts to lean forward, waiting for the sled to start rolling down the hill.

The journey is definitely better than Uriah's, but Will who's been standing in the back behind them all suddenly pipes up, coming closer to the three geniuses in front of him. "Didn't we always go sledding farther down the bank where the lake is a bit farther away?"

"Nah you idiot, we always went sledding here because we could see into the cabins easier." Uriah answers watching her go down the hill.

"The cabins are down stream, like I just told you."

Zeke and Tobias share that knowing look that they have shared many of times. It's the same look that they gave each other before something bad was going to happen and they needed to fix it quick. Both men take off running down the big hill, yelling at Adrienne to get off, as she hurtles closer the lake. Though she's a smart girl and five feet before she gets to the lake, knowing that she wasn't going to slow down, she tucks and rolls to the left. The sled keeps going, all the way into the unfrozen lake water. There is no longer any sign of that silver metal saucer sled.

* * *

So sledding wasn't a good idea. They lost their one and only sled to that lake, so Will came up with the genius idea of ice skating. There was a small pond that they always went to when they were young not that far away from where they were, and unlike the lake it was always frozen. Even though no one actually had ice skates with them, it was a proven point that you didn't actually need to have skates to 'skate'. The bottom of your shoes worked perfectly for the occasion.

Zeke's little ones seemed to find this the most exciting. Their mother always chased them off the ice. She always said that they would break a bone, considering that's all she ever did when she was on the ice.

"When did you guys all become old and married?" Uriah asks as the only single one in the group. He hasn't actually found himself a girl. His one and only true love from high school broke up him and left him for another woman. They are now happily married in California with two kids.

All the guys sit on a frozen log looking at the stable pond. All of their kids laughing happily in front of them.

"We aren't old." Will bites back at him.

"We don't go out like we used to. We used to be known for the wildest parties, and the best time. Everyone used to wish they were us. Will, you used to be the human garbage can. Now you're picking your kids' garbage. Zeke, you could handle any type of liquor. Now the only liquor you get is root beer. Four, you got your nickname for the number of touch downs you scored in a row in the state championship. Now your nickname stands for the number of kids you have."

"I only have three."

"Whatever? Besides you go by Tobias now, which is lame." He stands up in front of them. "`1That's besides the point, and you are interrupting my grand soliloquy." Uriah shakes his head trying to continue on his rant. "Would Amar like that our lives have turned into that? Amar was a freaking party animal. The man did the wildest and craziest shit and didn't cared where he ended up. I feel like we all should've been there for him. Have had one more beer, one more game of dare, one more run to the tattoo shop. He lived life like it was short and he lived it to the fullest. We should've lived by example."

They are all quiet letting Uriah's words sink in. Zeke is the first to speak up. "All of it is true, but you forgot something. Amar did teach us something. We need to live life to the fullest. But you know what, he regrets something. He told me this when the last time we had a beer together. He told me he regrets not slowing down and cherishing the best parts of life. He told me that he was jealous that I did that. So you know what baby bro? Life is short, life demands to be lived to the fullest. So that's why I want us all to come here once a year and spend time with each other. Cause you know, life is short. And to be honest I don't want to go the same way Amar did. With a bottle of pills in one hand, and a beer in the other. Alone, friendless, and family-less."

"I agree with Zeke. We haven't been all together in 10 years and the only reason we came together was for a friends death. So I say every year, whenever it may be, we all come together to celebrate Amar and us being friends for this long." Will says quietly.

* * *

They come back to the cabin, where it is warm and smells like pizza. Not just any type of pizza, Dauntless Pizza. The same pizza place that Uriah and Zeke's parents owned and all the guys worked at because they needed a job. They crowd into the kitchen, laughing, and talking loudly.

All the women notice something though. All the guys are a little less cautious around each other, and more...them. The same rowdy, nonstop talking, boys that they all know and love. They were honestly worried that something happened between them, but seeing now, everything is the same.

Tris is thankful for that. Tobias's job has been stressful on him, and he hasn't been home too much because of it. He feels like he's failing as a father. Not being home enough, and his youngest is at the age where his presence is needed to bond with her. He complains most of the time that he's only been to a few of his son's matches, and not many of his daughter's games. He doesn't want to quit his job though, he loves it. It's his dream.

Shauna admitted that they were in a slump. This is the perfect distraction from it. Zeke is between jobs, and hers only makes so much. They've been working hard to pay the bills, and keep food in their children's stomachs. There is only one promising lead, and they've heard nothing back from it. Her and Zeke have been good at keeping all of it from the kids. So far they've been acting completely normal, like nothing is wrong. But the oldest who is only 8, has started to catch on.

Christina and Will have been living a completely normal life. This is just a vacation to them. They have nothing to complain about. New York is great. They love it there. Of course they get home sick from time to time, and they don't get to see any friends or family a lot, but they compensate by keeping up with them on Facebook and other social media.

No one has heard anything about Uriah. He lives a single life, alone and under the radar. Zeke hasn't been around much to check on him, like he's always done. What happened between him and Marlene might have killed him a little on the inside, but he keeps it hidden pretty well. He's the only one who still lives in the city. Maybe he's lonely. Zeke and Shauna moved out to a suburb a few years after they were married. They needed something a little quieter for them. Christina and Will moved to New York soon after they were married, Will's job as a professor took him there. Tris and Tobias have been everywhere around the country. California, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, Tennessee, New Jersey. They just got done calling Virginia home, it was quiet there and they enjoyed it, but Tobias's next assignment has taken him elsewhere.

* * *

"Daddy." A small voice enters Tobias's dream that he's having. It's a nice one with Tris, him and the kids back in their old house in Tennessee. It was quiet there and he wasn't too busy. Adrienne was little then, and still needed him. Ransom, was not far behind her, still his little man and looked up to him like he was super man. Aaliyah was a baby, too little and too curious. It's Christmas day and they are just about to open presents. "Daddy." That little voice says again. It's not Adrienne or Ransom's. It's Aaliyah's, but she's a baby-Tobias wakes up again with a start. Big bright blue eyes identical to his, look up at him. "Daddy, Santa came! Santa came!"

"Did he?" His voice is groggy, and he's not quite all there yet.

"Yeah, can we open presents? Pleeeeaaaaase?" She holds out the words not breaking eye contact. She leans against the bed as if it would help her pleading.

The green glow of the alarm clock reads 6:37. Honestly it's surprising she made it this long without begging.

"I suppose, I'll wake up your mother. Go wake up your older brother and sister. Then we'll open presents, is that okay?"

"Yes!" She squeals a bit, and runs out of the room.

"Tris." Tobias whispers in his wife's ear. "Tris." She starts to stir, making that groaning noise that she makes when she doesn't want to get up. "Beatrice." He rolls so he's above her, and he kisses her gently. "Santa Claus came last night and your daughter really wants to see what he brought her."

"Tell Santa that he needs to go hide the presents and put her back to bed. I'm tired." She yawns through the ending and lies on her back. When she opens her eyes, the first thing she sees is her husband's. He's doing that thing again. "You know, it was romantic the first time you did this, but now it's kind of annoying."

He sits up so he straddles her, moving the covers back. Cold air slips between them, and he crosses his arms. "You know you enjoy it."

"Only a little." She runs her hands along his chest, feeling his abs that have never left. "Or maybe a lot." She whispers, and sits up a bit. He starts kissing her, making his way up to her face. "You know, you've completely distracted yourself now, and Aaliyah's going to come and see us. Come on big guy, I'm up now, let's go." She pushes him back over to his side and gets out of bed. "We can continue this later." She starts going for her silk robe that lies on the floor.

"Don't you tease me." He groans besides her as she makes her way into the bathroom.

* * *

Everyone is already gathered in the living room when Tobias and Tris enter. Their kids sit on the floor by the couch all surrounded by their presents. Zeke, Will, and Uriah start teasing Tobias and make kissy noises as he moves to sit behind the kids. "Merry Christmas." He says kissing each one on the top of the head. Tris hands him a present, and she sits besides him.

"Okay, we are going to start tearing open the presents on the count of three. One, two, thr-" Before the word is even finished, everyone has started tearing open their gifts that Santa brought them. Tris gave Tobias a Nerf gun and an ugly Christmas tie as gag gifts. He was being stubborn and wasn't telling her what he wanted. Though he said that millions of times that he didn't want anything. Tobias gave Tris that necklace that she was eyeing at the mall. She claimed that she didn't want it, but he knows her too well to know when she's lying.

"Where's Uriah?" Christina asks looking around the room. No one seemed to notice that he wasn't there.

"Oh, he's uh...sleeping. Had a bit too much to drink last night and couldn't get up this early." Zeke answers acting like he's hiding something. After he says it he bends down and starts helping his son with his present. Apparently Zach can't do it himself.

"Ransom your garbage is getting all over me." Aaliyah complains. Tris flicks Ransom in the ear and he stops.

"Adrienne what did you get?" Tris asks leaning over her, and Adrienne starts showing her all of her gifts.

"Dad...Dad...look at this. This is sweet." Ransom takes out two high tech remote control cars, smiling like an idiot. He's really into cars, and airplanes, and taking apart engines. For his birthday, Tobias taught him how to drive a helicopter. Ransom was never happier than that day.

"Nice, we're going to have to take that down to the track later and race them."

"Are you serious?" His light blue eyes get as wide as saucers.

"Dead serious."

"Aw, Dad your awesome. When can we go?"

"When it warms up."

Ransom beams at him some more then turns around to finish opening his presents. All the more he got was a new pack of paint balls, iTunes card, and a pack of socks that Tris made him throw in, saying that he needed them.

Aaliyah soon gets up and sits on her between her parents, looking very tired. "What's the matter? You're not going to finish opening your presents?" Tobias asks as soon as she sits down. Tris is busy with Ransom and Adrienne to notice anything going on with Aaliyah.

"I tired, Daddy." She leans against him and he picks her up and sets her on his lap.

"Whoa, Aaliyah look in the doorway, who's that?"

A big man in the red and white suit stands in the hallway doorway in front of them. It's obviously Uriah, the fake white beard made out of cotton balls and glue makes it really obvious. Tobias and Tris don't say anything though, because the guy Aaliyah wanted to see all year was finally in front of her and she was star struck. To be honest, it's really cute. She just has the big round saucer eyes that Ransom had earlier and her chubby little toddler fingers come together as she claps and squeals. "It's Santa!" She finally musters out.

"Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!" Uriah bellows stomping into the room. The really little kids go nuts. Adrienne and Ransom just laugh. They're old enough to know the truth. "Ho, ho, ho, you know children, I just had to come to this cabin because I knew all the little girls and boys here are just so good. And you know what? I brought even more presents." Uriah scans the room. "Where is Michael? Big Mike? Ah! There he is!" Uriah walks over to Christina and Will's five year old son. He hands him a little red plastic bag with a candy cane hanging out of the top. "Merry Christmas Michael and thank you for being such a good boy this year. Now where is Samantha and Zach? Those two little rascals also get a gift." Uriah stumbles over to Shauna and Zeke. Zach and Samantha get their bags and a hug from Uriah. "Now I have to go see the little Eaton's. Adrienne, Ransom, and little Aaliyah." He hands each of them a small bag. Inside there is two Oreos and a candy cane. A typical last minute, Uriah present.

"Let's see here, I also need some help. You see, my sleigh got thrown into the lake yesterday," A pointed look goes towards Adrienne. "And all my reindeer ran away, you see. There is another gift I need to get and I need some help. Let's see here, the oldest and the youngest child in the room come here, and you'll help me deliver my gift." Adrienne and Aaliyah both get up, and follow Uriah away.

Tris gives Tobias a pointed look, and he just smiles back. "What did you plan?" She asks.

"You already know what I planned."

She makes an 'oh' face and smiles. "So, Tobias and I have a confession to make." She smiles at him. All of their friends looks at them confused, and this will clear up all the confusion. "His job has him moving again, and we haven't told the kids where we were moving yet, so they get to find out this morning."

"About time we learn, I want to know if my stuff is going to make it to the knew house this time." Ransom says venomously from the floor. Tris rubs his shoulder, and laughs.

"It has, your mother and I checked up on it Wednesday."

The two girls come in with an envelope, they both look confused. Uriah comes into the room, this time looking like himself. Aaliyah says that Santa left, and the sound of sleigh bells woke Uriah up.

"Adrienne, give it here. I want to open it." Adrienne shrugs and frisbee throws the envelope at her brother. She sits besides him looking at the letter that is addressed to them. "Chicago? We're moving here?" The kids looks back at their parents confused.

"Yeah? Why do you have a problem with that?"

"No!" Aaliyah says loudly right before her brother and sister have a chance to speak for her. The poor little girl never gets to voice her opinion because Adrienne and Ransom always beat her to it.

"You like it here?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"We'll send you guys our mailing address soon, but right now we in the part of the Dauntless District, that has all of the old houses. The one we nabbed has been remodeled, and you should all seriously visit us when we get everything all moved in." Tris says. She loves showing off everything, maybe to her it makes her feel like she has a home. Tobias was told that he would be in Chicago for a while. That usually means about five years. Maybe, if everything works out it will be his permanent location.

Amar would have been one of their neighbors. His small construction company that he owns actually worked on the house that they were going to live in. They were going to share the information with the group, but it was too soon. Besides, Tobias wanted to keep a secret what his friend told him when he was ranting on about how they've been moving a lot.

 _A house become a home when you have family, and friends, and love in it._

The cabin may not be a house that any one lives in permanently, but it has definitely felt like a home for the past two days. Family, friends, and love was definitely in it. Anyone could agree with that.


End file.
